I’m always looking for fun new ways for clients to spread their messages through social media. It is powerful because it is direct, so easy to share and very cost effective. A client in Cleveland, the Gordon Square Arts District, has a fabulous event coming up. At the Discover Gordon Square Arts District Day, tens of thousands of visitors will:

sample locally grown food

enjoy beer gardens and restaurants

wander through galleries

watch performances at Cleveland Public Theatre’s outdoor stage

walk by spiffy streetscapes and store fronts

mingle with other art, food, fashion lovers

see exhibits on sustainability and art

be dazzled by a Latin festival that’s part of the day

laugh and relax with the family fun and entertainment at the Near West Theatre’s outdoor stage

shop, tour, dance, groove and learn

and hop on and off a trolley (for free) as they explore the more than 30 city blocks the celebration spans

A couple of days ago, I took the group’s logo and used it as the basis for a word cloud with key words and phrases from its website.

The idea was to blend the messages around the Arts District and the celebration. And to get more attention for the group by spreading those upbeat, fun concepts while also drawing attention to its strong logo. The group and several of its partners shared it on social media, mostly through Twitter, where it was ReTweeted.

Partners will be able to send out more Tweets and messages with the logo word cloud, as well.

(It could also be used for print materials, for other collateral, clothing or many other items.)

This approach has numerous marketing and communication possibilities, especially on social platforms. I used Tagxedo to make this one.

The site’s tools allow users to pull in an image as the basis for the word cloud’s shape. In this case, the shape I imported was the logo for Gordon Square Arts District. Tagxedo also lets users choose which source to tap to generate the words for the cloud — such as a URL, a Twitter handle or even a Twitter hashtag.

Here’s how to make a word cloud shape with a logo:

Then play around with the options for fonts, colors, layouts and other elements until you like the results. Try it yourself. And let me know what you think of it — and of the one created for the Discover Gordon Square Arts District Day. If you’re near Cleveland on June 9th, stop by!

There’s another post here on how to use Tagxedo to see the messages your own brand on Twitter sends to your followers and others who come across it. Various shapes can be used for these word clouds, too. This might be an interesting assessment for you.

As well, this approach can be presented to a client, using its Twitter handle (or website) in conjunction with a communications audit or assessment of its social media presence and effectiveness in terms of goals and objectives. Give it a try! I’m interested to hear what you think.